Patients have been left stunned after their clinic closed its doors for the final time.

And some claim to have only discovered Norton Clinic was shutting when they turned up for an appointment only to find staff packing up boxes.

But health bosses say services have been moved elsewhere and families have been informed of the new locations.

The facility on Knypersley Road had provided a centre for blood tests, baby clinics, anti-natal classes and treatment for foot and ankle issues.

Despite the closure, the Apsley GP surgery will remain and is unaffected.

Norton Clinic on Knypersley Road

Now community leaders have hit out at the departures and say more public consultation should have been carried out.

MP Ruth Smeeth has already written to the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS Partnership Trust, who ran some services at the facility.

The Stoke-on-Trent North politician told The Sentinel: “I’m absolutely staggered that this clinic appears to have been forced to close its doors without any warning or public consultation.

“Norton clinic provides vital support to local residents and to have that service disappear overnight will be a real loss to patients and staff.”

The Partnership Trust’s podiatry service moved out of the clinic in September with the health visiting provision heading to Norton Children’s Centre in November.

Meanwhile the majority of the University Hospitals of North Midlands’ anticoagulation appointments have been rescheduled to either Smallthorne Health Centre or Haywood Hospital. They had run once-a-week at Norton.

Stoke-on-Trent North MP Ruth Smeeth

Ward councillor Anthony Munday said he had not been consulted. He added: “I find it astounding in this day and age that a decision can be taken without the local authority being informed in advance.”

Families and patients say the decision to leave will have a ‘huge impact’ on senior residents living in Norton and Ball Green.

Patient Mick Salih, aged 69, of Norton, said: “The first we knew about it was when people turned up for blood test appointments and they were packing up boxes. Even a nurse turned up because she didn’t know.

“There are 1,200 homes on the Norton estate alone. Our buses have been withdrawn so I don’t know how anyone without a car will get to Cobridge or Smallthorne.

“The shocking thing is there’s been no consultation. No-one in the community knew anything about this.

“Closing these clinics is only going to increase the pressure on the main hospitals. It’s a vicious circle.”

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Resident Trevor Fowlds, aged 64, of Norton, added: “The NHS is broken. Such clinics should be opening up, they shouldn’t be closing them down.

“It’s very sad. It will be an inconvenience to patients and it will put pressure on other clinics that will have to take the brunt of the patients coming from Norton.”

UHNM's previously ran anticoagulation appointments have been rescheduled to either Smallthorne Health Centre or Haywood Hospital

Neil Carr, chief executive of the Partnership Trust, said: “As an organisation, the Partnership Trust aims to provide excellent patient experience and we will support our partners in primary care to do the same.

“Therefore, any future changes made to Norton Clinic will be worked through in partnership with colleagues at Apsley GP Surgery and with appropriate advice and guidance from NHS England and commissioning colleagues.”

A UHNM spokesman said the organisation had ran the anticoagulation clinic, once-a-week, on a Wednesday.

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He added: “The building does not belong to us and we recently received notification that the facility would no longer be available, so this service will now be provided elsewhere in Stoke-on-Trent. All patients have been contacted and offered alternative appointments for their treatment.”

Meanwhile a spokesman for Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group confirmed the Aspley GP surgery would ‘continue to operate for the immediate future’ having received no notification it would have to move out.